In high school you were told things about college that probably intimidated you a little bit. Once you actually go to college, you’ll learn that all of those things you were told to expect aren’t 100% true. Here are five of those common myths and what it’s really like.
1. Myth: Your professors don’t care about who you are when they have hundreds of other students, so it’s pointless to try to go to their office.
Professors have office hours for a reason, and it’s not so they can sit there for a few hours and grade papers. They want you to go see them if you have a question about the class. Some professors even want you to go by their office just to say ‘hey.’ They want you to speak up in class whether you have a question about something or just want to share your thoughts on the subject. Building those relationships with your professors will get you much further than sitting in the back of class and falling behind because you were too scared to ask for help. When you talk to your professors, you do better in the class and they know who you are. Those are the professors that you’ll be able to ask for a letter of recommendation from.
2. Myth: Professors won’t tell you when things are due. You have to remember all of the deadlines yourself.
There aren’t many professors that just hand you a syllabus on the first day and let you figure out the rest. They actually want you to do well. So while they may not tell you every day that you have a paper due in two weeks, like your teachers did in high school, most will remind you that an important due date is coming up. They’ll usually want to lay out the project or paper and explain it in more detail. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stay on top of those big due dates. Your professors will probably want you to have started it, or at least given it some thought, before they talk about it in class.
3. Myth: You won’t fit in if you’re not in a sorority.
All colleges have a different percentage of students involved in Greek life. At some, the majority of the student body is in a sorority or fraternity, and at others Greek life takes up a small percentage. However, there’s no way you can’t fit in anywhere just because you’re not in one. There are plenty of other ways to get involved and meet people. So if you’re not sure sorority life is for you, join a club for something you’re interested in.
4. Myth: There are no rules in college. You can do whatever you want.
You may not have your parents around giving you rules or a curfew, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be responsible. You shouldn’t lock yourself in your room and never have any fun, but just don’t go overboard. If you party too much and fail your classes, you have to deal with the consequences. College is the time when you can have fun and experience so many things, but it’s also preparing you for adulthood. You have to find that balance between work and play.
5. Myth: You have to pick a major and stick with it.
Some colleges may require you to declare your major very early on, but many give you time to take different classes and figure out what you want to do before you declare. Take advantage of that time. Even if you think you’re positive about what you want to major in, most college students change their mind before graduating. About 80% of students change their major at least once, and on average, students change majors three times. So take classes in subjects you think you’ll enjoy and also some classes that simply sound interesting. You may find out that you don’t want to major in what you thought you did, but by trying something new, you might figure out what you really love doing.
photo credit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_of_Charleston